Television antenna, light and tray



March 24, 1959 J. F. BONISTALL TELEVISION ANTENNA; LIGHT AND TRAY Filed April 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J. F. BONISTALL March 24, 1959 J. F. BONISTALL TELEVISION ANTENNA, LIGHT AND TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1956 INVENTOR J.F. BONISTALL ATTORNEY ANTENNA, LIGHT AND TRAY United St ew) 'iohn FfBonistall, Zanesville, Ohio, assignor to Shawnee gr Company, Zanesville, Ohio, a corporation of o3:v .";;.y'.-

Application A pril 25, 1956, Serial No. 580,502 '1 Claim. or. 343-721 K .This invention relates to television and more particularly ma combination antenna, lamp and tray unitarily associated for positioning on top of or adjacent to a television set and which is ornamental and highly aesthetic in appearance.

Indoor television antennae have usually consisted of rabbit ears having a rather ungainly appearance and which have extended outwardly into space and thus have been subject to being struck and thereby knocked off their support. Then, too, difiiculty has been experienced in rotating them to the desired position, the base not being rotatably mounted and the wires interfering with such movement.

In addition to the need for a room antenna where an outside one is not used, it has been desirable in order to reduce eyestrain and make the viewing more comfortable to provide a soft light adjacent to the television set. It is desirable that the source of such light bepositioned so that it does not shine directly in the viewers eyes.

In many homes, and particularly those with a space problem, a television set usually being large, it is desirable that objects may be placed thereon, such as receptacles for plants, serving trays or the like.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a unitary structure of pleasing appearance combining an easily adjustable rotatable antenna, a light source for casting a small amount of light in the vicinity of the television set without the source being visible to the viewer, and a tray of the Lazy Susan type which may be used to support various objects or receptacles for plants or for edibles of various types.

These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2, an elevation;

Fig. 3, a perspective similar to Fig. 1 with the receptacles removed and the center globe indicated in phantom;

Fig. 4, an elevation similar to Fig. 2 with portions broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 5, a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6, a fragmentary section to an enlarged scale on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Briefly stated, the invention includes a base having a center platform rotatably mounted thereon, an antenna and a source of light being mounted on the platform in the central portion thereof and covered by a globe having an aperture permitting light to shine upwardly therefrom, the outer portion of the platform being adapted to receive receptacles in which plants, edibles or other objects may be placed.

Referring to the drawings, the invention includes a frusto-conically shaped base 10 having a flat upper portion 11 with a central aperture 12. Mounted on the base is a support or a platform 14 which may be circular as indicated and has a central portion 16 of thicker Patented Mar.

dimension forming a ridge 15, and a rim 17 adjacent its'upper outer edge. The top portion 11 of the base has a raceway 18 with a plurality of ball bearings 19 on which the support 14 is rotatably mounted. A sleeve 20 extends through the upper central portion of the base 11 and the center of the support 14 for receiving wires 21 and 22 connected to a lamp socket 23 and television antenna coils 25 and 26, respectively.

'The lamp socket 23 is mounted on a bracket 28 secured by fastening means 29 passing through slot 28'.in' the bracket to the central portion 16 of the support. A bulb 30 of suitable size is mounted on the socket and may be positioned centrally of the support by adjustment of the bracket radially of the support.

Various typesof television antenna may be used but the one illustrated has been found to be efiicient where space requirements are limited. The coil 26 may have a sleeve type core 27 positioned therewithin, if desired.

Mounted over the lamp and antenna is a globe 31 having tapered side walls 32 and a depressed or concave upper wall 33 having an aperture 34 by means of which the light from bulb 30 may be cast upwardly. It is obvious that with the device positioned on top of a television set the light bulb cannot be seen by the viewer and therefore will not interfere with comfortable viewing.

The lower rim 36 of the globe 31 rests on the upper surface of the support 14 adjacent to the thicker portion 16 of the support, the ledge 15 providing a convenient means facilitating positioning and retaining of the globe on the support.

The upper surface of the support 14 around the globe may be used to hold various objects. However, the receptacles 38 are particularly designed to be carried thereon and to present a pleasing appearance in the combination. The receptacles are substantially wedge-shaped and have spaced ledges 39 on their bottom surface, the outermost of which abut the rim 17 of the support for maintaining the receptacles in position. The inner wall 40 of the receptacle is curved to approximate the configuration of the side wall 32 of the globe in order to further the unitary pleasing appearance of the device.

A fastening member 42 extending upwardly from the base 10 is adapted to contact an abutment member 43 extending downwardly from the lower surface of the support, 14 to prevent more than a complete revolution of the support in either direction in order to reduce wear and prevent breakage of the wires 21, 22 as the result of excessive twisting of the same.

In use, the light and antenna wires are connected to a suitable outlet and junction, respectively, the light cord 22 preferably having a switch. The support 14 carrying the antenna, light and receptacles or other articles may be easily rotated to the position in which television reception is best and the support will remain at such position until moved.

While the invention is not limited to the use of any particular materials, the base and support may desirably be of a pressed composition or plastic, and the globe and receptacles of pottery, the mounting, arrangement and positioning of the lamp bracket, globe, and receptacles permitting variations in size and configuration of the globe and receptacles as are frequently present in pottery and other fixed articles.

Accordingly, it will be understood that the invention provides a unitary structure of pleasing appearance which may be placed on top of or adjacent to a television set and which provides an easily adjustable antenna, a light to reduce eyestrain during viewing, and receptacles for such items as may be desired.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope and therefore the 3 invention is not limited by that described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings, but only as set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is: 1 V

A combination rotatable television antenna and .illuminating means comprising a base having an upper por tion of reduced area, said upper portion carrying hearing means, a support on said upper portion and rotatably carried by said bearing means, said support having a central portion with an upwardly projecting ridge at its outside portion, a radially adjustable lamp bracket and socket mounted on said support in the central portion,

a pair of coil-type television antennae mounted on said central portion adjacent to said lamp bracket, wires connect'ed to said lamp socket and to said antenna coils and extending downwardly through the central portions of said support and said base, a globe comprising side walls and a top wall mounted on said support with its lower rim contiguous to the ridge of the central portion of said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 688,753 Storrs Dec. 10, 1901 1,627,130 Vogler May 3, 1927 2,318,516 Newbold May 4, 1943 2,574,164 Baay Nov. 6, 1951 2,636,986 Rideman Apr. 28., 1953 2,725,464

Vigon Nov. 29, 1955 

